Cam race construction for knitting machines, particularly circular knitting machines

ABSTRACT

The cam race block of the knitting machine, which may be in segments, is formed with an opening extending from the front (for the cylinder) or the top (for the dial) towards the interior of the cam race block where the cam race path is formed; insert elements shaped to fit into the opening have parts of the cam race path formed thereon, by separate elements, or cut in the inside, the inserts and the openings being mutually fitted so that the inserts fit into the cam race path, for selective placement, the inserts being cut selectively to provide needle path controls for pass or idle, tuck, knit, or transfer positions. The inserts are externally accessible from the machine and removable from the outside.

UnitedStates Patent Beuter et al. 1 Apr. 2, 1974 CAM RACE CONSTRUCTION FOR 2,756,574 7/l956 Shortland 66/20 TIN IN PARTICULARLY 2,748,580 6/1956 Zeruncith 66/20 CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES 3,709,004 l/l9-73 Paepkc 66/57 [75] Inventors: getrgnatna Btttauttg'; Alfgad Planck, Jr., Primary Examiner james Kcc Chi O 0 0 en ermdny' Attorney, Agent, or FirmFlynn and Frishauf [73] Assignec: Fouguel-Wcrk Frauz & Planck, I

Rottcnburg am Neckar, Germany [57] ABSTRACT [22] Filed: June 12, 1972 Y r The cam race block of the knitting machine, WhICh PP'- 261,693 may be in segments, is formed with an opening extending fromthe front (for the cylinder) or the top .[30] Foreign Application priority Dam (for the dial) towards the interior of the cam race J 21 1971 G I 2130585 block where the cam race path is formed; insert eleunc ments shaped to fit into the opening have parts of the cam race path formed thereon, by separate elements, or cut in the inside, the inserts and the openings being E 66/57 19 78 20 mutually fitted so that the inserts fit into the cam race 0 earc path, for selective placement, the inserts being cut selectively to provide needle path controls for pass or [56] References Clted idle, tuck, knit, or transfer positions, The inserts are UNITED STATES PATENTS externally accessible from the machine and removable 3,670,526 6/1972 Martinetz 66/57 X from the outside. 3,490,252 1/1970 Paepke et al. 7/1970 Rothe- 66/57 9 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures PATENTEDAPR 2 1974 SHEET 4 BF 5 PATENTED APR 2 8974 SHEET 5 [1F 5 CAM RACE CONSTRUCTION FOR KNITTING MACHINES, PARTICULARLY CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES Cross reference to related application: U.S. Ser. No. 246,651, filed on Apr. 24, 1972;

The present invention relates to knitting machines, and more particularly to circular knitting machines and especially to the construction of the cam races which form the guide tracks for the needle butts, or other control butts of the knitting machine.

The cams, and cam races of knitting machines usually are made as separate elements, individually placed and replaceable. In circular knitting machines, particularly, cams are cut into, or applied on blocks which are essentially segmental. These blocks may have cam parts placed thereon which are fixed, the cam parts defining the cam path and being secured to the cam block by means of screws or the like. Changing the cam parts is very time-consuming since the segmental cam block pieces have to be removed. Additionally, adjustment of such cam parts or inspection for wear is timeconsumingand difficult.

Cam blocks and cam elements are known in which the'cam parts themselves are adjustable, so that the needle positions can be adjusted by changing the position of the cam elements. Thus, the needles can be selectively placed in pass, or idle, tuck, or knitting position. The needle guide path, that is the cam path is so changed within the adjustment region of the adjustable element, however, that it is difficult to guide the needle accurately. It may happen that, when the adjustable cam element is set to, for example, tuck position, the centrifugal force of needles in the dial will still project the needle to the farthest possible position within the cam path which results in faults in the knit fabric.

Cams and cam tracks are known in which the needle guide path is a cut groove within a cam block. These cut grooves have to be accurately made, and adjustment of the needle path, of course, is impossible.

In another proposed needle control, the dial seg ments can be removed, bodily, from the dial carrier, and the dial cam path can be exchanged, in groups (see German Patent No. 1,938,891).

It is an object of the present invention to provide a cam construction for knitting machines and more particularly for circular knitting machines, in which the cam track or path for the needle butts is prefabricated, but which, nevertheless, permits ready interchange of the cam path to control the needle path to pass or idle, tuck, and knit position and, desirably, also to project to transfer position so loops can be transferred, and which is a simple and readily manufactured element, which can be exchanged simply and without requiring substantial time for the exchange, or for subsequent adjustment.

SUBJECT MATTER OF THE PRESENT INVENTION:

Briefly, the cam part, dial or cylinder, is formed in separate blocks. In circular knitting machines, these blocks will be segmental. The blocks are formed with openings which extend from an outwardly accessible surface towards the cam race in the interior of the cam block. Insert elements are provided which are shaped to fit into the openings to seat therein. The insert elements are insertable selectively, and have their inner surfaces shaped to provide a portion of the cam race.

2 In accordancewith an embodiment of the invention, insert elements can be provided which, selectively, have cam paths provided thereon to form pass or idle, tuck, knit, and transfer needle paths. These cam races, at the interior of the insert, when inserted-in the openings, can be cut into the inner faces or provided by separate cam elements or cam portions to define a cam track within which the needle butts can run. The inserts are located in predetermined positions in the cam race blocks and secured therein; in accordance with one embodiment of the invention, the cylinder inserts are snapped in place and held in position by spring-loaded pins, and can be removed by inserting a suitable tool into a keyhole slot.

The invention will be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. I is an interior view of a segment of a cylinder cam for a circular knitting machine, also illustrating the needles and the needle paths, in schematic form;

FIG. 2 is an outside elevation of the cylinder of the invention;

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view, partly schematic, along line AA of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a top view of the cylinder of FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 5 is a bottom view, looking up, ofa dial cam segment also, schematically, illustrating needle paths;

FIG. 6 is a horizontal cross-sectional view along line 8-8 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary top view of the dial segment, with the inserts removed; and' FIG. 8 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view along line C-C of FIG. 7.

The invention will be described in connection with a circular knitting machine. A cylinder cam block 1 provides the needle cam track or cam path for three knitting feeds, I, II, III. The cam track can control both short and long cylinder needles. Feed 1 is illustrated with a cam track path driving the needles to knitting position; feed II with a cam track path driving the needles to tuck position; and feed III to keep the needles in pass or idle, or non-knitting position. The path or track of the needles, engaged by the needle butts, is schematically indicated at 17. The path of the needles themselves is defined by cam elements 7, 7, 7a, 7'a, 7b, 7b. Two such groups of cam elements are provided, longitudinally staggered, to permit insertion of long or shortneedles. The cam elements 7, 7' 7b are secured to the cam block segments by means of screws (not shown). In an alternative embodiment, the special cam elements are not formed as separate parts secured to the cam. block but rather the cam block is extended and the paths for the butts of the needles are cut, by example, by milling, into the cam blocks themselves. End blocks 9, 9 are provided at the inside of the cam track blocks in order to provide for exact and accurate positioning of the cam race segments. Various other needle control elements, conventional in the art, may be provided on the blocks; they are not shown in the drawings for simplicity.

In accordance with the invention, the blocks are formed with openings pierced therethrough, to be accessible from the outside. Thus, circular cuts 3 are made through the cylinder block (FIGS. 1, 3) and into these cuts, inserts 5 are placed which carrythe cam elements 7, 7', 7a 7b, respectively. The insert elements are readily removable from the cam blocks. To remove the cylinder insert, the inserts are formed with a keyhole l3, partly blocked to the outside, to permit insertion of a suitably shaped key which reaches behind the slotted front plate 13 to permit pulling out of the insert 5 against the spring tension of a spring-loaded pin 12', placed in position to fit a matching depression 12a formed at the circumference of the insert 5. The pin 12 is held in a small sleeve 12 which is outwardly threaded so that the spring tension with which the pin 12' is pressed into recess or depression 12a can be adjusted. The depression may be in form ofa groove, extending circumferentially around the circular insert 5. To locate the insert 5 in its proper vertical position, a vertical bore 30 (FIG. 4) is formed in the cylinder, through which a circular pin can be inserted, matching a similar cut-out formed at the side of the insert 5, to additionally securely locate the insert in properly aligned vertical position. This permits easy removal of the inserts 5, by first removing the pins from opening 30 (FIG. 4) and then, by means of a key inserted through keyhole 13, twisting the element 5. The depressions, in this case, can be made to taper gradually outwardly so that the pin 12' rides against the spring pressure over an angle of inclination which is shallow with respect to the angle of inclination extending in axial direction, that is in the direction shown in FIG. 3, to positively locate the insert 5 in radial position.

The insert element 5 is tapered at its inner end to provide for ease ofinsertion. The cam elements 7, 7' themselves are somewhat smaller than the interior diameter of the opening 3 within the cam block itself, additionally facilitating insertion of the insert 5. Inclined surfaces are formed at the interior side of the limit blocks 9 secured to the cam race block 1, for example by screws (not shown) to additionally facilitate insertion. The matching surfaces of the elements 9 and 7, or 7', respectively, are preferably accurately pre-finished. Central or intermediate locating blocks 10 (FIGS. 1, 3) can be secured to the segmental block similar to the limiting blocks 9, forexample by screws not shown, and likewise are formed with inclined surfaces 11 to facilitate locating of the cam segment elements 7, 7' themselves. The inclined surface 19 at the inner side of the insert 5 itself guides the insert during insertion into the opening and past the pins 12' from the locating elements 12.

The basic concept of the construction of the dial segments is similar to that of the cylinder segments. Cam elements 8, 8, 8a, 8' 1, 8b, 8'b, again define a needle butt path 18; two superposed paths are shown, again, for long needles or short needles. The dial block 2 (FIGS. 58) is formed with essentially rectangular, partly segmental cut-outs 4. These cut-outs are not exactly rectangular but taper slightly towards the interior of the dial, to extend radially from the center of the machine. The dial itself is formed with a seating shoulder 14, which is drilled and tapped with an opening 14a. The inserts themselves are also generally rectangular matching, however, the radial taper of the openings 4. Inserts 6 are formed with a projecting shoulder 15 (FIG. 6) fitting over shoulder 14 on the dial block segments. Screws l6 fitting into the tapped openings 14a interconnect the dial inserts and the dial segment blocks. The dial segment blocks may, additionally, be formed with tapped holes into which screws 16 can be inserted after removal from openings 14a, to lift out the 4 insert elements 6. The insert elements 6 again have the cam elements 8, 8' 8'b secured thereon, for example by screws, the elements driving the needles to selected, desired projecting positions or retaining the needles in a pass or idle path. The shoulders l4, 15, together form a bearing surface which is preferably titted, so that the insert elements are securely held in position and accurately located on the dial block, so that the cam race paths of the insert elements will properly fit with the cam race path portion provided by the cam blocks or races themselves.

Various changes and modifications may be made within the inventive concept. Reference is also made to the aforementioned cross referenced application Ser. No. 246,65l, filed Apr. 24, 1972.

The detailed specification is directed to that portion of the machine in which the apparatus of the present invention is incorporated and with which the method of the present invention is useful. For a complete discussion of knitting machines, reference may be had to Double Knit Fabric Manual, copyright 1961, and Knitting Dictionary, copyright 1966, both published by the National Knitted Outerwear Association; Technologie der Rundstrickerei by Albert Diebler, Konradin-Verlag, Stuttgart, particularly vols. 9, l0 and 11; US. Pat. Nos. 2,169,801, 2,697,336; and British Pat. Nos. 874,719 (which discloses a system to control the dial needles), and 996,291, from which well known parts of the machines, the cooperation of the apparatus of the present invention with known parts of knitting machines, and application of the invention to other machines and operating elements thereof, will be obvious. Typical knitting machines are, for example, Type SMJ, SRJP, SMH, SMJI-l, and other interlock circular knitting machines, eight lock circular knitting machines, single knit machines and the like made by Fouquet- Werke Frauz & Planck described in detail in their Betriebsanleitung (Operating Instructions") and Montageund Betriebsanleitung" (Installation and Operating Instructions); MELLIAND TEXTIL- BERICHTE Heidelberg, Vol. 42, issue 12, l96l,

pages 1,363-1 ,370.

We claim: 1. In a knitting machine, a cam race construction comprising at least one cam race block (1, 2) having an outer surface and an inner surface and forming part of the knitting machine, first cam track plates (9, 10) secured to the inner surface of the cam race block (1, 2) to form a portion of the cam race (l7, 18), the cam race block (1, 2) being formed with at least one opening (3, 4) therethrough extending between the outer surface toward the inner surface carrying the cam race;

insert plug elements (5, 6) shaped to fit into the opening and insertable therein, said insert plug elements having a length equal to the thickness of the cam race block, and having an inner surface matching with the inner surface of the cam race block (1, 2);

means (12; 30; 14,15, 16) locating said insert plug elements in predetermined aligned position in the cam race block (1, 2),

and second cam track plates (7, 7' 7b; 8, 8 8'b) secured to the insert plug elements (5, 6) at their inner surface to form the remaining portion of the cam race, said second cam track plates comprising paired, fixed, upper and lower guide plates attached to the inner surface of the respective plug element and defining thereb'etween a fixed portion of the cam race path, the cam race portion on said insert plug elements providing, together with the cam race portions on the cam race block, a complete cam race path.- 4 2. Cam race construction according to claim 1, furthercomprising a slotted keyway (13) formed in the insert plug element (5) open to the outer surface thereof, to permit removal of said insert plug element and withdrawal from the opening.

3. Cam race construction according to claim 1, wherein the opening (3) in the cam race block is shaped at its inner surface to provide an inwardly narrowing surface (11) and said insert plug element (5) is formed with a surface matching said inwardly narrowing surface and fitting thereagainst.

4. Cam race construction according to claim 1,

and a matching bearing surface (15) is formed on I said insert plug element.

6. Cam race construction according to claim 5, further comprising means (16) interconnecting said insert plug element (6) in the cam race block (2) in the region of the bearing surface and pressing said bearing surfaces together.

7. Cam race construction according to claim 1, wherein the opening is polygonal;

the insert plug element is polygonal of matching outline;

the shape of the opening and the insert together forming said locating means.

8. Cam race construction according to claim 7, wherein the cam race block is part of the dial structure of a circular knitting machine;

and the opening and the matching shape of plug element is essentially rectangular and partsegmentally shaped having converging longer sur- UNITED STATES PATENT @FFKCE CERTIFICATE. ()F QQRRIEQTEQN Patent No. 3 800, 561 Dated April 2 1 974 I lnven fl Herma nn BEUTER et a1 It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Please change assignee to read follows:

--FOUQUET-WERK FRAUZ 5: PLANCK Signed and sealed this 1st day of October 1974.

(SEAL) Attest:

McCOY M. GIBSON JR. C. MARSHALL DANN Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents USCOMM-DC 60376-P69 11 5. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: mus 0-366-334.

F ORM PC4050 I 0-69) 

1. In a knitting machine, a cam race construction comprising at least one cam race block (1, 2) having an outer surface and an inner surface and forming part of the knitting machine, first cam track plates (9, 10) secured to the inner surface of the cam race block (1, 2) to form a portion of the cam race (17, 18), the cam race block (1, 2) being formed with at least one opening (3, 4) therethrough extending between the outer surface toward the inner surface carrying the cam race; insert plug elements (5, 6) shaped to fit into the opening and insertable therein, said insert plug elements having a length equal to the thickness of the cam race block, and having an inner surface matching with the inner surface of the cam race block (1, 2); means (12; 30; 14, 15, 16) locating said insert plug elements in predetermined aligned position in the cam race block (1, 2), and second cam track plates (7, 7'' . . . . 7''b; 8, 8'' . . . 8''b) secured to the insert plug elements (5, 6) at their inner surface to form the remaining portion of the cam race, said second cam track plates comprising paired, fixed, upper and lower guide plates attached to the inner surface of the respective plug element and defining therebetween a fixed portion of the cam race path, the cam race portion on said insert plug elements providing, together with the cam race portions on the cam race block, a complete cam race path.
 2. Cam race construction according to claim 1, further comprising a slotted keyway (13) formed in the insert plug element (5) open to the outer surface thereof, to permit removal of said insert plug element and withdrawal from the opening.
 3. Cam race construction according to claim 1, wherein the opening (3) in the cam race block is shaped at its inner surface to provide an inwardly narrowing surface (11) and said insert plug element (5) is formed with a surface matching said inwardly narrowing surface and fitting thereagainst.
 4. Cam race construction according to claim 1, wherein the cam race block (1) is part of the cylinder structure of a circular knitting machine; the openings are paired, and the insert plug elements are paired, one insert plug element each for the needle butt of a short or long needle being inserted into a respective opening.
 5. Cam race construction according to claim 1, wherein the opening provides a bearing surface (14) internally with respect to said opening and offset from said opening; and a matching bearing surface (15) is formed on said insert plug element.
 6. Cam race construction according to claim 5, further comprising means (16) interconnecting said insert plug element (6) in the cam race block (2) in the region of the bearing surface and pressing said bearing surfaces together.
 7. Cam race construction according to claim 1, wherein the opening is polygonal; the insert plug element is polygonal of matching outline; the shape of the opening and the insert together forming said locating means.
 8. Cam race construction according to claim 7, wherein the cam race block is part of the dial structure of a circular knitting machine; and the opening and the matching shape of plug element is essentially rectangular and part-segmentally shaped having converging longer surfaces.
 9. Cam race construction according to claim 1, wherein the means locating the insert plug elements in position comprises a non-circular side portion formed on the elements; and said opening is formed with a non-circular portion (30) matching the non-circular side to locate the insert plug element (5) in oriented position in the opening (3). 